Local News

Fort Morgan Council OK's 2013 humane society contract

ByJENNI GRUBBS Times Staff Writer

Posted:
01/04/2013 01:49:59 PM MST

These kittens were cared for at the Fort Morgan Humane Society animal shelter last July. The society recently received a new contract with the city of Fort Morgan to run the animal shelter.
(Fort Morgan Times file photo)

The Fort Morgan City Council on Wednesday night approved a service contract with the Fort Morgan Humane Society for 2013.

The humane society runs the city's animal shelter, receiving support from the city both in form of use of the building that houses the society and the shelter and money from the city.

"We started with this process about a year ago," Fort Morgan City Manager Jeff Wells said. He thanked the humane society board and the police department for "working through some difficult situations and developing a really good relationship" when working on the new contract.

Wells said that months of work by the city and the society determined "that the services that are being provided by the humane society meet the legal requirements that we have to meet as the city."

But he added that those services also "go above and beyond in a lot of ways to make sure animals are taken care of when they're brought in and that they receive a good home, and that's I think ultimately the goal of the humane society: to make sure the animals that come in there receive a good home."

Because of that, Wells pointed out that there had been differences between the city and the society about how best to achieve that goal.

"We also recognize that the way that we might run the shelter is a little bit different than the way the society would run the shelter," Wells said. "We've been able to accommodate those differences in a way that I think is meaningful for the society to continue in their mission and the city of Fort Morgan to make sure that they are preserving the public's interests in the funds that we provide them.

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The service contract for 2013 between the city and the society provides $18,100 in direct payments to the society and $15,000 in forgone rent for the shelter building at 900 E. Railroad Ave. in Fort Morgan.

The contract also would mean that the city would forgo collection of $2,000 from the society for 2012 repair costs to the shelter building, instead counting it as a credit.

There still would be a $2,642 difference between the projected cost of running the city's animal shelter and the support being provided by the city, according to the proposed contract resolution. That would then become a credit balance for the society to be "used for future 2013 qualified repair deposits with the city" or "paid upon the renewal of a contract" for 2014, according to the proposed resolution.

Wells explained that one of the changes between the old and new contracts was that the society would no longer be responsible for building repairs up to $2,000; instead, that number was lowered to $500.

"Our goal is to make sure we're providing funding that does not exceed what the legal requirements would be (for the city to run the shelter), but at the same time providing the resources necessary for the humane society to run the animal shelter in the way that they feel is beneficial to the community."

The bulk of the society's funding still comes from donations from animal lovers and purchases at the Humane Society Thrift Store at 117 Main St. in Fort Morgan.

Fort Morgan Humane Society Board President De Fowler pointed out that the money that the city contributes to the humane society "is not a donation.

She said it instead was a service contract for the society to run the shelter and take care of the stray, abandoned or impounded animals, "no different than a cleaning contract" or one for snow removal.

"Obviously, this $18,100 is only a portion of the funds needed to care for the animals," Fowler said.

She told the council those costs run around $16 per day, depending on the number and types of animals at the shelter.

"We depend heavily on grants and donations," Fowler said.

But "we feel this is a fair amount," she said of the total allocation in the service contract.

She added that the society "really enjoys the new and healthier relationship we have had with the city this year."

Fowler also told the council that the society could provide updates later in the year about the number of animals at the shelter and associated costs. She said that a monthly report on this was given to the Fort Morgan Police Department.

Wells said that information could then be used by the council in the budgeting process for a contract with the society for 2014.

Other action

The council also approved designating Water Resources and Utilities Director Brent Nation and City Manager Jeff Wells as the city's representatives to vote on matters related to water shares in various reservoir and ditch companies.

Well called this a "housekeeping item."

"Every year there usually is an annual meeting where we vote our share before the membership," he said.

Nation had filled this role for the city when he was on the council, but now the council needed to formalize that role in his new capacity working for the city, Wells said.

The council designated Wells and Nation to vote for the city concerning water shares at annual meetings of Southside Lateral Co., Fort Morgan Reservoir & Irrigation Co., Fort Morgan Water Co. Ltd., Jackson Lake Reservoir & Irrigation Co., Fort Morgan Water Asset Management Inc. and Riverside Reservoir and Land Co.

And the council approved the Dec. 18, 2012, regular council meeting minutes.

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